Marvel Studios’ next Disney Plus streaming series, Secret Invasion, is being billed as a paranoid spy thriller and as information about it has slowly trickled out, life is imitating art. Just one month after an official Marvel site revealed Emilia Clarke’s character as Abigail Brand, a new rumor points in an entirely different direction. Or does it…?
According to insider Daniel RPK, Clarke’s character is called G’iah and, as oft-theorized, is a Skrull and the daughter of Talos, who returns as one of the series’ leads. Through set photos and a trailer, Clarke has only ever been seen as a human and according to the rumor, her human name in the series will be Nell. Set photos revealed Clarke’s Nell interacting quite a bit with Kingsley Ben-Adir who is set to play the piece’s villain. Ben-Adir’s character, Gravik, is a Skrull who has a long history with Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos who, from the first trailer for the series, seems to be key to whatever plan the Skrulls have for Earth.
Given that Secret Invasion is based on a comic book event with the tagline “Who Do You Trust?”, it’s certainly worth wondering how much misinformation Marvel Studios may have chosen to let into the wild ahead of the series’ 2023 release. Could Clarke’s character still be the MCU’s version of Abigail Brand? Did Marvel Studios intentionally misrepresent who she was on an official site? In the comics, Brand was an Agent of S.W.O.R.D. working to intercept extraterrestrial threats to Earth. Given that Clarke’s character has been seen working so closely with Gravik in set photos, it’s possible she could be a S.W.O.R.D. spy…but it’s also possible she’s spying on S.W.O.R.D.! Who Do You Trust!
Secret Invasion will stream on Disney Plus in Spring 2023.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is now the next Marvel Studios film up to continue the franchise. Accordingly, we are seeing plenty of news bits here and there about the upcoming film which will feature potential Multiverse Saga Big Bad Kang the Conquerer.
Well, this is a surprising reveal that confirms a long-time theory. Marvel Studios has started the tradition of creating small supercuts to share the adventures the various Marvel Cinematic Universe characters have gone through in the past few years. Marvel Studios’ Legends is a great little guide for those that don’t actively follow every project the studio puts out. With the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special on the horizon, we got a new entry recapping our favorite ragtag group of space heroes. Surprisingly, it includes a deleted scene that confirms a surprisingly familiar connection.
As it turns out, Pom Klementieff‘s Mantis is actually Star-Lord a.k.a. Peter Quill’s sister. There have been some theories that this might be the case when we first meet Mantis with his father, Ego. There was a short showcase of his many lovers from across the galaxy, which included someone that looked quite similar to Mantis’ race. Plus, Ego has collected his children for one purpose and there always was the question of why he kept her around. With her being his daughter, it makes sense he kept her around just in case she might become useful.
It’s interesting that she shared this with Drax, who’s the one to reveal it with the line “he should know you are his sister” and that they’d go out of their way to set up this connection as part of the recap. So, we’ll see if this might be something James Gunn explores further in the upcoming Holiday Special and third entry of the trilogy. Also, it’s nice to see someone find out they have a sister that isn’t seemingly planning on killing them; Thor could give him some pointers.
If you’re looking for a 40-minute Marvel Studios Special Presentation that changes the entire landscape of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special isn’t going to satisfy your craving. While the special does somewhat surprisingly advance a few plot points, those ultimately feel like bits that happen here to save precious minutes of screentime in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which will almost certainly change the entire landscape of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Director James Gunn has made it quite clear that Vol. 3 is the end for this group of Guardians and that it’s a love letter to Rocket, who he’s openly described as a character he loves more than any other he’s ever written and one who he believes deserves a “spectacular” final chapter. If Vol. 3 is a love letter to Rocket, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is a shorter and less spectacular love letter to a pair of characters who have yet to truly have been in the spotlight in any of the Guardians’ appearances to date. If you’re looking for a 40-minute Marvel Studios Special Presentation that puts Drax and Mantis and their odd couple relationship front and center, The Guardiansof the Galaxy Holiday Special is going to land just fine.
Star-Lord and Gamora have certainly had their time in the spotlight over the course of Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Avengers: Infinity War. Somewhat surprisingly, Nebula, who is a much less important character in the comics, has been given ample time to shine in Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. And though Rocket is going to be the star of the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 show, he and Groot have had quite a bit of attention. Despite having a very compelling arc in the Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning comics on which Gunn has based his film version of the Guardians, Drax hasn’t been much other than muscle and comic relief and Mantis has been around mostly to make funny faces and occasionally use her powers when convenient.
To be fair, Gunn is certainly well-aware that the two characters haven’t ever really been given the time that the others have. Recognizing that and the great chemistry that exists between Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff, Gunn once approached Marvel Studios about a Drax and Mantis spin-off film. While the director was told there would be no room on the theatrical slate for such a piece, he also said that while it might not be a movie, the pitch hadn’t been forgotten. And ultimately, as theorized here, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Specialturned out the be the Drax and Mantis show, complete with exactly the type of humor audiences have come to expect from the pair.
The backdrop for the adventures of the two is truly steeped in the fact that these Guardians have been and continue to be a family. The special opens with Kraglin tells Nebula, Drax and Mantis a short story about how Yondu once ruined Christmas for Peter. Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, a rough-looking Peter Quill seems to exist as a shell of the once brash and bravado-filled Star-Lord he once was. Mantis, whose big “secret” gives her a reason to feel a bit more responsible for trying to break Peter out of his slump, hatches a plan with Drax to give Peter a great Christmas by giving him a present that he will never forget. To Drax, there’s only a Kevin Bacon will do. Drax and Mantis head to Earth where holiday shenanigans ensue.
Of the pair, Klementieff’s Mantis truly takes the lead and is given the most to do. In the comics, the character was a highly-skilled martial artist and while she’s had a few tussles in the MCU, she’s mostly been relegated to putting characters to sleep or manipulating their emotions. Make no mistake, she does her fair share of that here too, but she also gets to show off some slick hand-to-hand moves. Bautista’s Drax has his fair share of funny moments as well, though he seems at times to be doing more belly-laughing than talking. The duo’s adventures on Earth only take up about 25% of the special’s runtime, but ultimately provide 90% of the laughs. Returning to space, they manage to give Peter-and Kevin Bacon-a Christmas they’ll never forget.
The special is full of everything fans of Gunn’s work with the Guardians have come to expect. While it’s not essential viewing for casual fans, the story absolutely adds to the overall story and emotional core of the Guardians. Gunn’s at his best when exploring the dynamic of this misfit group and by watching the special, hardcore MCU fans will find themselves feeling even more emotionally invested in the group; in that way, it’s almost unfair to have an inkling of what Vol. 3 is set to do to them. It’s also worth noting that this project could never have been done as well as it was without Gunn behind it. His emotional investment in these characters and their family make it work. And of course, there’s the music. From the hilariously off-beat Christmas jam written by Gunn and belted out by the Old 97’s in the opening to the interesting, to Hanoi Rocks’ “Dead By Christmas” and, of course, Kevin Bacon rocking out in space, the soundtrack hits the requisite holiday beats while triggering emotions throughout.
Marvel Studios is on to something with these short-form special presentations and are definitely 2-for-2 following Werewolf By Night with The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. While not essential viewing, this one is going to play well for hardcore and casual fans alike as it gives just enough of a narrative push to the story of the Guardians while helping us all remember how important family is this time of year.
Marvel Studios’ streaming series Echo stands poised to be a trailblazing project in a number of ways. Not only will it be the first Marvel Studios project to feature a Native American lead and largely Native American supporting cast, but it also puts star Alaqua Cox, who is deaf and an amputee, in the spotlight making good on a wish she expressed during her time on Hawkeye to be part of the effort to “see more deaf and disabled role models to inspire the next generation.” Disney debuted footage of the series exclusively at D23 and though the show has completed production, rumors of issues behind the scenes have begun to swirl ahead of its slated release in the Spring of 2023.
If there are any issues, they would seemingly come as a surprise to Vincent D’Onofrio, who has a sizeable role as Wilson Fisk in Echo. Speaking recently at Salt Lake FanX, D’Onofrio praised the performance of Cox as Maya Lopez “I have to say that in Echo, which is coming, where you get to see Alaqua Cox’s performance…it was just phenomenal.” The actor then went on to tease the scenes that his Kingpin shared with Cox’s Maya Lopez, hyping specifically “the last few episodes” and saying of the show that “it’s going to be quite something.“
Before switching gears, though, D’Onofrio indicated that long-standing rumors that Echo would serve as a direct lead-in to his next MCU project, Daredevil: Born Again, are accurate saying, “And that leads into, of course, Born Again.” Again, whatever purported issues there are with the series, if any, D’Onofrio seemed entirely unaware of them at FanX, which was held in late September.
Like many projects, it’s possible that Echo may require some more work and might even find its release date bumped back a bit. However, considering its importance as the first superhero project centered around Native Americans and the connection to Daredevil: Born Again, it seems likely that Marvel Studios will find a way to remedy any issues with the finished product.
Daredevil: Born Again is shaping up to be Marvel Studios’ most ambitious streaming series to date. The 18-episode event will take nearly all of 2023 to film before hitting Disney Plus in 2024 and is rumored to include a whole slew of characters including the Punisher and White Tiger, a new street-level character from the pages of Marvel Comics. Even without those characters, the hype for the series, which will see Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio share the lead for the first time since the Netflix Daredevil series was canceled, has always been high. But it can always get better…
At a recent appearance at Salt Lake FanX, D’Onofrio took the time to get the audience in attendance even more fired up about the upcoming series. While responding to a question about what hero he’d like to face down the road in the MCU, D’Onofrio veered off-topic (or did he?) to hype Daredevil: Born Again.
I will say though…see you guys have no idea what you’re in store for in Born Again. I know a little bit more than you guys and all I can say is, during that next series you’re not going to be thinking about anything but the next episode. I promise.
Vincent D’Onofrio
What made D’Onofrio connect the dots from a hero he’d like to face to the comment about Born Again? Though he’s often been clear that he’d love to see Kingpin take on Spider-Man in the MCU, he’s also made it known that a Punisher vs. Kingpin battle is on his list of goals. With the rumors of Jon Bernthal’s return to the role continuing to swirl, perhaps D’Onofrio’s comments could give fans of the character a little more reason to hope he’ll be included.
There’s a lot happening over at Disney since Sunday’s announcement that Bob Iger will return as CEO and take back control of Disney after passing the torch to Bob Chapek. It’s not every day that a former executive just takes over a position shortly before the holidays and with an announcement on a Sunday of all things. Not even a day later, the development continued with Chapek‘s right-hand man, Kareem Daniel, leading the streaming revolution also leaving the company, someone who had much more control over projects than some might think.
Now, the big question is what exactly this new direction means for Disney and especially Disney+. The streaming market has hit a bumpy road once things calmed down with the pandemic. In many ways, we saw a slight counter-development as people finally felt safer going out again, which lead to many doubts about the potential and profitability of the streaming market. Netflix hasn’t helped in that regard with them throwing as much money as they can against the wall to find their “next big franchise” for better and for worse.
The rise finds demand also showed its fangs with Marvel Studios, who started producing a few Disney+ shows and started ramping up as demand during the pandemic skyrocketed. While some believe it turned into a “quantity over quality” matter, one cannot deny that Marvel made the best of the situation, as it filmed many of its projects during the pandemic with many restrictions holding them back. In a perfect world, the studio may have kept its originally planned course and developments but this isn’t about what ifs.
What we are aiming to talk about is what will be, as Iger‘s return and Daniel‘s exit raise some interesting questions about what this means for Disney+ moving forward. The most important aspect is that creatives are back in the center, a significant showcase of what made his reign stand out as the company’s leading man. The dangers of algorithm-driven filmmaking have always shown their thorns throughout streamings history and this could rejuvenate hope in the market.
Not just that, but it also likely hints at Marvel Studios gaining a bit more control over how they tackle the development of their series. At this point, Marvel Studios is capable of pumping out up to four or five series per year. Not a small undertaking for any production company in the markets even if it expanded to do just that. They made the best of the situation with some of Marvel Studio’s most out-there and creator-driven projects yet. Still, Iger’s return might mean the studio has a bit more control over just how much they produce.
Many are quite concerned about R-rated content on Disney+, but that might not truly be an issue. The Star expansion internationally and a strong focus on more adult content were already put in motion before Iger left his position. He even highlighted Deadpool during the 20th Century Fox acquisition. We might still see some more family-friendly offerings in the future, but it doesn’t seem like he’ll suddenly force projects to become more PG-13, especially with how the studio has been growing with its new library. Of course, this is just speculation and nothing concrete outside of some fear of the old Disney model showing its hands.
There is one major aspect that could see a shift; even if it won’t be noticeable immediately. Up until now, Chapek’s goal was to drive subscriber numbers as fast as possible. To do so, they needed to bet on their cash cow to do exactly that, which was Marvel Studios and even Lucasfilm. So, they faced the challenge of having to push out as much as possible to keep that number growing. While Marvel studios might have been just as ambitious, it’s hard to not think there was some growing demand internally to get out as much as possible.
As noted, whatever the aftermath will be from Iger‘s return, we won’t see it for quite some time. Daniel leaving was the first signal that a new yet familiar era is set to return to the company and Marvel Studios will likely reflect that development. We might see them dial it back once the current projects that are already in production have been released. The Multiverse Saga is generally the Marvel Cinematic Universe going through its sophomore season and with post-Endgame blues affecting some, they can currently use the era to experiment.
The Disney+ shows are a new venture for the production company, and Marvel Studios tried to take its cinematic experience into a new market; with the help of Marvel TV’s experience after merging with the division. One can feel about their consistency in quality one way or another, but it’s definitely been interesting to see Marvel go beyond its usual ventures in many ways. Special Presentations opened up the possibility to move away from high-budget series with unique ventures and who knows if we’ll see more of those moving forward.
Iger‘s era is just about to begin, and we’ll very likely be stuck with many questions for some time. We don’t know if they’ll replace Davis and rebuild the streaming division, or potentially take a completely different direction moving forward. Perhaps Marvel will have more control over its own segments connected to the streamer, as originally envisioned when the Disney+ venture first started picking up steam. Whatever the future may bring, all eyes will be on Kevin Feige on how he’ll tackle this new direction.
Once upon a time, it was hard to imagine characters such as Wonder Man, Jack Russell and Man-Thing could exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sure, all the characters are outlandish, dare I say comic book-ish, for one reason or another, but Marvel Studios has moved beyond the core group of Avengers and into the depths of the roster where some of their most
Doctor Druid
Marvel Studios toned down the weirdness of Doctor Strange’s adventures quite a bit in translating the Sorcerer Supreme from page to screen. But believe it or not, there’s another master of the mystic arts who has had even weirder adventures in the pages of the Marvel Comics: Doctor Anthony Druid. Doctor Druid actually predates Strange, having been created in 1961 and like Strange he sought out the Ancient One and learned some magic.
It’s not so much that Druid himself is too wack for the MCU, though he does lean a bit too heavily into hypnosis sometimes; it’s more that the majority of his adventures in the pages of the comics took him to some locations that probably won’t end up being a bit part of the MCU. Trips to Deviant Lemuria, Weirdworld and Atlantis or all on his resume. He’s a little more occult than what we’ve seen in the MCU so far and though he has been an Avenger in the comics, it’s hard to imagine him holding down a spot on the roster in the future.
Jack of Hearts
Of all the characters on this list, the thought of Jack not ever making his way into the MCU is the one that’s toughest to take. The character first appeared in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #22 after having been teased in previous issues. A human-alien hybrid, Jack’s powers came as the result of being exposed to an experimental fuel source, Zero Fluid, created by his father during an attack on his laboratory by the evil corporation known as…The Corporation.
Even though Jack’s alien mother’s homeworld of Contraxia is already an established location within the MCU after having been visited in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Jack is a tough character to imagine adapting to the screen, at least in any recognizable way. His origin story’s connections to an alternative fuel source would fit right into the modern world and the MCU, but his powerset would make him one of the most powerful characters in the shared universe. And then there’s his look. It’s an absolutely fabulous comic book design that just wouldn’t carry over to the big screen. So what is Jack of Hearts without his trademark look and his “my cells are full so I’m going to explode” timer always at risk of going off? He’s not Jack of Hearts, whatever he is. Too strong and too wack for the MCU.
Sentry
Nearly everything about Sentry sets up for a surefire blockbuster tentpole superhero flick, other than one key piece of his backstory: nobody within the Marvel universe remembers who he is. The origins of Robert Reynolds’ transformation into Sentry fit right into a key piece of the foundations of the MCU: the Super Soldier Serum. However, it’s not quite the fairy tale story of Steven Rogers. Methhead Roberty Reynolds broke into a lab and got into some serum that granted him the power of “a million exploding suns.” He went on to become one of Earth’s mightiest and most beloved heroes until The Void, an entity that bonded with Reynolds, took over and created chaos. With the help of a few of Earth’s heroes, including Doctor Strange, things were fixed up and the entire world, including Reynolds, forgot the Sentry ever existed.
The reality of adapting Sentry to the MCU is that he’s simply too powerful to exist despite the fact that he would fit right into the modern MCU and the future. One of the great things about the character in the comics has been the exploration of how a character with his power could exist within society. He’s also a wonderful case study in mental health. They might adapt him for a film (there are rumors even now that he’s going to be the villain in Thunderbolts), but the TRUE Sentry, at the end of the day, however, he’s simply too wack to become a great character in the MCU. Enjoy him in the comics because that’s about as good as it’ll ever get.
Silverclaw
Maria de Guadalupe Santiago’s backstory is probably as wack as any character in the Marvel Universe. Maria’s father held a deep belief in the old gods of Central America, specifically putting a significant amount of stock into the tales of the Volcano goddess, Peliali. After disappearing into the jungle for some time, Maria’s father came back with baby Maria, who he claimed was the daughter of Peliali. You can sort of compare Maria to DC’s Beast Boy in that she can change into a number of different animals, all native to Central America, of course. Over the years, she’s been an anaconda, a cheetah, a crocodile and…a sloth. Her powers manfiested uncontrollably when she was young and, after her father died, she found herself in an orphanage run by Catholic nuns who were none too happy to have a pagan werekid running around. Fortunately for Maria, Iron Man’s butler Edwin Jarvis saw a commercial for the orphanage, sponsored her and somehow she eventually ended up in America and became an Avenger.
Thor, Black Panther and Moon Knight have already introduced different pantheons of gods to the MCU, so it wouldn’t be out of the question to have the Incan gods join them. However, it’s unlikely the Avengers are going to take on an abundance of werepeople. It’s also hard to imagine a non-mutant shapeshifter joining the team, especially one that, at first glance, looks like Gene Simmons. Silverclaw has never been a popular character (she has not been seen in the comics for a decade or so) and might be a touch to wack to find her way on an MCU-based Avengers team anytime soon.
Tigra
On one hand, if Jack Russell can exist in the MCU, Tigra can, too. Jack is a werewolf. Tigra is kind of like a werewolf, except she transforms into a cat…and wears a bikini. Greer Nelson has been an Avenger and a West Coast Avenger, a team that seems like it’s destined for the MCU sooner rather than later. She’s been an instructor at the Avengers Academy. She has some really great stories and has had important relationships with a lot of big players in the MCU, including Moon Knight. However, while a version of Grant Nelson/Tigra might bound into the MCU, it’s really hard to see where the tiger-striped, bikini-clad version fits in. At one point in time, the character was supposed to share the stage with Dazzler in an animated series for Hulu but, unfortunately, that never came to fruition. That may have been the best shot the weretiger had at the spotlight.
Next week will bring the final Marvel Studios project of 2022, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. It will be the second Special Presentation created by Marvel, and while there aren’t any others announced, it would seem unlikely that it’ll be the last. It’s a new concept for the Disney+ platform, but it seems that the origins of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special date back to around 2016. According to director James Gunn, the initial idea for the holiday special was pitched to Kevin Feige during the production of Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 in 2016.
It’s certainly interesting to follow the history of how this unique project for the MCU came to be. Much like Werewolf by Night in October, the Special Presentation format is a natural evolution of the One-Shots that used to exist and are a unique way to continue narratives for Marvel. Fans have already thought up a large number of ideas that could work well in this short-film format.
Assuming Guardians was the first Special Presentation to be pitched, James Gunn deserves credit for this new creative direction. And it could certainly bode well for the creativity Gunn can bring to the table as the new head of DC Studios (on top of the strong showings he’s already had there with The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker).
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special premieres exclusively on Disney+ on Friday, November 25.
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